Single-family home sales in Orange County increased nearly 15 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period a year earlier, but at the same time, the median sale price plunged almost 10 percent.

Figures provided Wednesday by the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors showed 376 single-family sales in Orange County between January and March, compared with 328 sales at the same time in 2012. The median sale price was $226,000, down from $250,000 in the first quarter a year ago.

Hudson Gateway attributed the lower median price to sales shifting away from high-priced properties. The moderate- and lower-priced houses have seen the most buyer activity, according to the Realtor group.

The Ulster County Board of Realtors reported 218 sales during the first quarter of the year, up from 199 a year earlier.

Ulster’s median price rose to $193,000 in the first quarter this year, up from $173,000 during the same time in 2012.